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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29598045">Goals</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonidas1754/pseuds/Leonidas1754'>Leonidas1754</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>South Park</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous Relationships, Chubby Kyle Broflovski, Fluff, Insecurity, Light Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plans For The Future, or lack thereof</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:29:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29598045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonidas1754/pseuds/Leonidas1754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stan goes to pick up Kyle for a Halloween party, he finds Kyle not ready at all, and finally pries what been eating at Kyle for some time now.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Goals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is more of a cute-ish fic to help take a break from ITWUTB, not a ton of plot to it and more focused on comfort and such. Enjoy~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Kyle! Ready to go?” Stan called up the stairs, bouncing on his heels. His smile faded as no answer came. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sheila passed by, seeming a bit confused. “I know he’s up there. Maybe he’s still getting ready,” she suggested to Stan before heading into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan shrugged and jogged up the stairs, coming to knock on Kyle’s door. “Kyle? Are you in there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh, you can come in,” Kyle called back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan opened the door and stepped inside, tilting his head. Kyle was just sitting on his bed, still in his normal clothes, looking awkward. “Kyle? Everything okay?” Stan asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… I’m fine, just not really feeling up to the party tonight. Sorry, I should’ve texted you.” Kyle rubbed his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? But… You were so excited for it, I thought.” Stan frowned, moving to sit beside Kyle. “Are you feeling okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, I just…” Kyle shuffled his feet. “I fibbed. About having a costume and all that. I didn’t really have any ideas or anything, so I figured I’d just toss on a cheap mask, but really… I just feel like going would end up being awkward and lonely, for me at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lonely..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I mean, you’re probably gonna get caught up with Wendy, and Kenny’s gonna be glued to Butters all night for sure. I think I’ll just pass. Maybe stay in and watch some scary movies or something.” Kyle shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan frowned. This was far from the first time Kyle had bailed on plans with his friends. In fact, Stan couldn’t remember the last time Kyle had actually shown up to anything. “Dude… You don’t come to anything anymore. What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle winced at that, glancing away. “I just don’t really feel like getting up to all that bullshit, dude. Just go on without me, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Nah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Kyle glanced at him, clearly confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said nah. C’mon, let’s have a movie marathon or something! We haven’t done that since middle school.” Stan smiled. “We can mooch off Ike’s candy or something when he gets back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I want to hang out with my best friend? Do I really need a reason for that?” Stan frowned. “Seriously, dude. Something’s clearly up, and I wanna help. You’re more important to me than some stupid party.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprise crossed Kyle’s expression for a few moments before he let out a soft huff of laughter. “I think I needed to hear that,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning, Kyle crawled to the top of his head and sat against the headboard. Stan followed, tucking them close together. Kyle leaned against him, pulling his legs up under himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle took a deep breath. “I guess I just feel like… I feel like I’m getting left behind. Before you say it, I know it’s not intentional or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No kidding. We want you around, you know that, right? Kenny and I miss having you there. Clyde always asks where you are when you don’t show up, and even Craig raises a brow nowadays,” Stan pointed out. “It’s definitely noticeable that you’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh. I didn’t expect that.” Kyle folded his arms over himself. “I just feel like… It’s senior year, and everyone’s getting all prepared to go to college or trade schools or whatever. Having serious relationships, making plans for the future, growing up. And I’m still… here. Hell, I’m not even really interested in any personal goals? I mean, I’m fat, but I’m… okay with that. I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> my body, but I don’t hate it either, and I can’t really think of anything I could do that’d make me like myself more. So… I just don’t have any goals, while everyone else is working towards something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> knows what they want to do,” Stan pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but they all at least have a vague idea of where they want to go or do. Me, I’m just… lost. I have the smarts to do whatever I set out to, sure. I’ve got great grades and I got a good shot of getting into whatever college I want to, but the problem is I’ve got no direction. And without any direction… I dunno what to do.” Kyle tucked himself further into Stan’s side. “My dad wants me to become a lawyer, of course, but is that what I want to do? Would I be satisfied with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... That’s a hard question.” It definitely helped Stan understand what was going on, though. “It’s pretty much impossible to avoid future talk, it’s all everyone’s thinking about since we’re about to make that jump. So when you don’t know where you want to go, even… I get it, dude, for sure. Why didn’t you say anything before, though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it just felt like such a stupid, selfish problem to have? I mean, look at our own friends. Kenny’s working his ass off and scrounging together every dollar he can get so he can build a future for himself and his little sister. Butters is facing years upon years of therapy to figure shit out after everything his parents have done, and he knows it. Next to that, I just feel… whiny. Oh god, I don’t know what I want to do with my life, how horrible,” Kyle finished sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan chuckled. It was true enough, either way. “You should’ve at least talked to me, you boob.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A snort escaped Kyle. “Don’t call me a fucking boob, asshole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll call you a boob if I wanna!” Stan stuck his tongue out at Kyle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both young men broke down in laughter at that. It felt good to just laugh with his best friend again, and Stan realized how much he’d missed it. He curled up into Kyle’s side as well, enjoying his warmth and weight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed your laugh, man,” Stan admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle giggled a little more, shaking his head a little. “That sounds really dorky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, you know me. Is that really a surprise?” Stan tentatively reached down, taking one of Kyle’s hands. “I mean, you’ll figure it out, right? You don’t have to know what you want to do immediately. And not knowing what you want to do doesn’t make you any less mature or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle tangled their fingers together, a soft smile painting his lips. “Yea. I know I should’ve talked to you. It’s just hard sometimes. I feel like everything’s moving on without me, and I’m kind of nervous about some of the ways that could come about…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been interested in Wendy since sophomore year, you dork. I’ve grown up a little, I know myself and what I want a little better now. And she’s not what I want.” Stan squeezed his hand. “I think you already knew that, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle snorted a little. “You confessed while drunk off your ass, dragging yourself home from the last fireworks party. Forgive me if I thought you might’ve changed your mind, especially since we never really talked about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True.” Stan chuckled. “I appreciate you being chill, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing?” Kyle closed his eyes, resting his head on Stan’s shoulder. “I never knew how to bring it up again. So I just… tried to be close. But after that was when I was really starting to get in my head about all of this. I couldn’t really tell if you and Wendy were interested in each other, or just friends, and I had a hard time believing you’d want to be with some fat, aimless ginger guy over some pretty, driven girl like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, I get it. But there’s a lot more to it than your looks, and you’re what I want, dude.” Stan rested his head on Kyle’s, closing his eyes. “I hope you can start actually hanging out with us again and all that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. I’d say we should go to the party, but… We’d be late, and it feels a little dumb to go without a costume.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, mine wasn’t anything crazy. I recreated my old ranger junk from our stick of truth days. I bet we’d be able to throw you something together, dude.” Stan didn’t make any move to get up, however. “I left it in my car, was just gonna throw on the helmet and cape over my clothes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle hummed faintly. “I dunno. A party still sounds exhausting either way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Stan could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Stan dug it out and raised a brow at Token’s contact lighting up the screen. He glanced at Kyle, who simply shrugged and looked curious as well, so Stan answered the phone. “Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Stan, where are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At Kyle’s, we got held up talking. Mind if I put you on speaker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped the speaker button. “You’re on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Kyle,” Token called out. “Anyway, probably better you two got stalled. Party got busted up by some cops, apparently they got some fucking booze tip-off. Didn’t find anything, of course, but we’re not gonna be able to do any more now. Most have bailed, but a bunch of us are heading over to Timmy’s instead. He offered his basement entertainment set-up for a movie night so long as there’s no Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Pretty sure Clyde’s gonna hijack the TV to put on a Laika movie marathon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh dude, I love Laika!” Kyle burst out, a bright smile crossing his face. “Shit, give us a minute? I literally watch Coraline every single year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Laika made that? I thought that was like, Tim Burton or something,” Token said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle shook his head. “No way, dude, that was Laika. They’re the ones that did Paranorman, Boxtrolls, and fucking Kubo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we definitely need to watch Kubo again, that was amazing,” Token agreed. “I’ll stall him, we’re all ordering pizza and such anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, be there soon!” Stan replied, grinning wider as he hung up. “If I’d known that would be what gets you excited, I’d have suggested it ages ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle laughed and lightly swatted his thigh before climbing over him to get out of bed. “C’mon, help me throw something together, dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan chuckled and hopped up as well, tugging the closet open. He knew where one thing in particular was, his eyes gravitating straight to it. It’d been up there for so long he had to blow some dust off once he’d picked it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Stan said, holding out the woven-branch crown. “I think this should work pretty well, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle chuckled as he took it in hand. “You really just want an excuse to act as my knight, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maaaaaaybe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dork.” Kyle’s smile was warm and fond. “C’mon, I think I’ve still got a robe somewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan watched as Kyle dug through his closet, tugging out a robe. It was green and long and hugged his body just right. Then pulled the crown on. He took Stan’s hand with a tentative smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready then?” Stan asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can handle a movie night, Stan,” Kyle said in amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan snickered. “I dunno, I mean, you haven’t been to a social event in ages, you might get overwhelmed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyle rolled his eyes and pulled him out the door, calling to his mom that they were leaving. “It’s actually not too far to Timmy’s, we should just walk. It’s a nice night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lemme grab my costume junk then.” Stan let go of his hand only to snag his helmet and cape, hastily tying it on before grabbing the fake longsword and returning to Kyle’s side. He took Kyle’s hand and squeezed it tight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they walked down the sidewalk, heading for Timmy’s house. It was a nice night, with kids running around in costumes and heading to houses, and older kids running about looking to cause trouble. Token was standing outside, and waved to them when he spotted them coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan cast a glance at Kyle, who grinned back and picked up the pace, pulling him forward. Stan laughed as he was tugged along. Even if Kyle didn’t know what he wanted out of the future, he knew what he wanted in the moment, and that’d be enough for the time being.</span>
</p>
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